# Deeney's Jail Break Turns Into Football Miracle

- Topic: football
- Source: [FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/if-i-hadnt-gone-to-jail-id-be-dead-now-it-was-the-hard-reset-i-needed-troy-deeney-on-coming-back-from-the-brink)
- Published: 2026-09-19
- Original: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/if-i-hadnt-gone-to-jail-id-be-dead-now-it-was-the-hard-reset-i-needed-troy-deeney-on-coming-back-from-the-brink
- Language: en
- Image: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/if-i-hadnt-gone-to-jail-id-be-dead-now-it-was-the-hard-reset-i-needed-Si6qF3iGBTJknm9YQQAqCB-1920-80.jpg

## At a glance

- 97th‑minute play‑off winner sent Watford past Leicester in 2013
- Deeney scored 140 goals over 11 years at Watford, a club record
- A 10‑month jail sentence forced Deeney to write future plans and reset his life
- He grew up expelled from school, failed Aston Villa trial, and played drunkenly at Chelmsley Town

## Sources

- [FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/if-i-hadnt-gone-to-jail-id-be-dead-now-it-was-the-hard-reset-i-needed-troy-deeney-on-coming-back-from-the-brink)

## The story

After spending nine months in prison, Troy Deeney returned to the pitch and scored the 97th‑minute winner that sent Watford past Leicester City in the 2013 Championship play‑off semi‑final. The goal, celebrated with Bill Leslie’s iconic “DEEEEEENEY!” chant, remains the most remembered moment of Deeney’s 140‑goal career at Vicarage Road. Deeney’s path to that triumph was shaped by a turbulent youth - expelled from school, a failed trial at Aston Villa, and a stint in non‑league Chelmsley Town where he famously netted seven goals in a drunken match. In 2012, his father was diagnosed with throat cancer and he was later jailed for 10 months after a brawl outside a Birmingham club. He says the time in prison forced him to confront his life, write down future plans, and ultimately become a more focused player. The 2013 play‑off goal was a culmination of that hard reset, proving that a difficult period can lead to a breakthrough on the field. Deeney now credits his manager, Sean Dyche, and the support of his family for turning his life around.

> Summary by Daily Read Bytes. [Read the original source](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/if-i-hadnt-gone-to-jail-id-be-dead-now-it-was-the-hard-reset-i-needed-troy-deeney-on-coming-back-from-the-brink)